Adaptability
by Qu33nbeee
Summary: You were an artist. a really fucking good one. So its just like life to pull this on you when you were about to reach your peak. Well, no one could ever say that you never tried to adapt to your new predicament. (I will only post 3 chapters here. If you want more, the ongoing fic is on my Ao3, /users/DollBlood)
1. Jade

You were an artist. The best in your land, and by gods, your land was big. People of high standing all across Egypt and into the areas of south-western Mesopotamia had come to know of your work. Kings traded you off between them to do works for them, and each time warranted a higher and higher price for your nimble hands and brilliant mind.

Each finished piece brought you anything you could ever want, and as a man who had once been stranded on the streets with nothing, well, one could say you wanted _everything_.

You had only recently finished a piece for the king of the city of Meskalamdug, and decided to take full use of his prized tattoo artists. Good ones were hard to come by, so you took what you could get at each destination you came to.

As you laid back and the man above you pierced your chin with a needle covered in silver ink, you contemplated where this king would send you next. Surely, it would be somewhere grand. He was auctioning you off, sending you out to the highest bidder, and the last you had heard, there were several kings and nobles outside of the desert who were wanting your hands.

Another person may have hated being treated like something to be bought, but as you sat back and watched the prices for you rise, all you could feel was pride. You had worked out of poverty, you had stood on top of the people you left behind to get here, and now you lived in the lap of luxury. You were basically king, if it weren't for the ruling part of the title. King of your craft, though, certainly.

The artist above you jumped from the sound of a distant door slamming open and misplaced his next mark, and you frowned.

"I thought you were the best here?" You snapped, grabbing the needle out of his shaking hands.

"I-I am, sir. I just-"

"Any artist worth his weight would block all sounds out while he worked so mistakes don't happen. I will do the rest myself. Leave."

"But sir-"

"I said leave!" You pointed at the door and the man slunk away. You pulled up a mirror and continued his work, which was really quite simple. You didn't need another person to do it, but you had been hoping for some time to relax. Clearly, you weren't going to get it if you wanted everything to be perfect.

You continued the bold line of silver that ran from the middle of your lip down your chin, stopping at your beard. You wouldn't cut off your beautiful hair just to have one tattoo run all the way down your chin; you weren't that desperate for your art.

It took well over an hour to do in the mirror, but when you were done, you were happy with the outcome. It went well with the golden tattoos running down your arms and back. A splash of silver on your otherwise dark face was eye catching and unsuspected, just like your art.

As you put your hair up into a bun, a messenger came to the room the king had so kindly given to you while you worked on his request.

"Sir, the king has chosen the next to receive you."

"It's about time." You said, checking yourself in the mirror one last time before standing and following the man to where the king would tell you of your next destination.

* * *

"Japan?" You asked again, slightly shocked that word of you had traveled that far.

"Yes, the emperor promised me two Jade dragons. Any other bid couldn't compete with that." The king responded.

"How do you expect me to get there? Walking a short distance from one city to another is one thing, but that is a very long journey. Sir."

"There is a trade ship in the south port, headed for china. I have arranged for you to take precedence over anything on that ship. I have also arranged for a cart to take you down there. I assure you, I do not intend for you to be stranded. I will certainly want your skills again someday."

You smirked and nodded.

"Of course sir, perhaps for your daughter's wedding? I've been told I can create a beautiful ring set, as well as henna like you have never seen."

The king laughed.

"Perhaps I will have her marry you, just so I can get such things for free!"

"Oh, sir, why would you get it free, surely I am marrying your daughter, not you?"

You shared another laugh, and then the king sent you off to pack your things.

As you packed your trunk, you couldn't help the giddy smile spreading across your face. You were traveling across the sea. Never in your early days, did you believe you would get this far. Perhaps a kind noble would buy a painting from your stand, but never actually commission something!

But now you were to travel across the ocean itself to bring your talents to a man who had only heard of you through rumors, who had paid for you with _Jade dragons_.

As servants came to collect you and your things, you schooled your expression. No one would get to see you as anything but cool and aloof.

You were loaded into a cart, and began your journey to the sea. The ride would take quite a few hours, so you settled back and began the long, arduous process of determining how you should act for your new employer. Each new king, Pharoh, and Emperor was a new person. You couldn't joke with your first employer like you did with the one you just left. You had to learn to adapt to each new place to be able to schmooze your way into the rich-folk's hearts, and to get more pay.

* * *

The boat was grand. You weren't familiar with sailing, but seeing such a large ship float was truly something else.

You were given a cabin all to yourself, and left alone to plan what you may need for your next piece.

It would take two weeks at least, to get to China, and another day to get from that port to Japan. It wasn't like you didn't have time to think, but you liked to be prepared, and to have a sample catalog that was different for each ruler that hired you. This emperor could choose outside of the catalog, of course, but it was always good to show him what you were capable of.

You began some sample sketches as you left the docks, and started your voyage.

* * *

It's wasn't until the third day at sea, that you really realized what being away from the desert would entail. Rain had been pattering against the boat for hours longer than you had ever witnessed, and it didn't seem to be letting up any time soon. The constant rain was giving you a headache, so you turned over in your hammock and tried to get some more rest.

* * *

Sea sickness was the _worst_ thing to ever happen to you.

The seventh day, the storm had let up, but your relief was short lived as the waves caused your stomach to churn up last night's dinner, and you were stuck to the rails of the ship for hours as you puked every last ounce of food out of your stomach, and then some. You glared at anyone who came near, except for the crew chef, who brought you water to wash out the disgusting taste building in your mouth.

* * *

The eighth day, you were back at work, but kept a bin nearby, should a wave send you back into the sickness.

* * *

Day ten, another storm struck. You holed yourself up in your room as the crew shouted from the deck. You locked your door to make sure no one interrupted you, but the shouting continued through the deafening roar of thunder.

At one point, someone knocked on your door, but you refused to answer.

You didn't suspect anything about the shouts becoming screams, until the ship gave a violent shake and you were thrown from your seat. The lantern on your desk fell and rolled to the corner, and it felt as if your world turned upside down as the ship capsized.

Any prayer you sent to your gods was received too late, as your head hit a wall and you blacked out.


	2. Silver

You woke in your cabin, as if nothing was wrong, but the fact that there was no movement of water beneath you told you that something was very wrong. Unless you had slept for four days, you should not have been stopped yet.

You shakily stood and picked up your lantern, which was miraculously still lit. You unlocked your door and opened it slowly.

What you were met with defied all logic.

A creature with multiple limbs and a glowing mask was hunched over the dead body of one of the crew. It looked up at you when the door creaked, and it shrieked. You slammed the door shut and locked it before sliding down it and trying to catch your breath.

You had never seen anything like that, and had it not been devouring the crew member, you would have been happy to try to draw it. But now all you could envision was the blood splattered across the mask that seemed to be its face.

You took in your surroundings with new eyes, and realized something very important.

You didn't have food or water in here.

You would have to go out at some point if you didn't want to die a slow, painful death, and you had already experienced starvation first hand before, so no thank you.

You took a breath and tried to think.

This was just a new thing to adapt to. You had adapted to the streets, and then to each client after you got popular. This was no different, you just had to figure out how to survive.

You heaved a sigh and stood, lantern in one hand, and the copper knife you used to sharpen charcoal in your other. You hesitated, but pulled the door open quickly, just to get it over with. Like tearing a strip of bandage off of an infected wound.

...

There were no monsters waiting for you outside. Had it not been for the blood stained wood just outside that showed where a body had been dragged off the ship, you would have thought you had imagined the creature completely.

You walked to the railing of the ship and looked out to the dark expanse you were now stuck in, but as your eyes began to adjust to the dim light, you found yourself surrounded by luminous colors. The ship was stuck between two rock faces, but beyond them, stood a landmass that glowed with pinks and purples. If you squinted against the glowing, you could see creatures wandering about on the land, which sat several yards away. Too far to jump, but you could probably climb the rock face and reach the land.

Before you could try, though, you heard a hissing above you.

You looked up and shrieked at the sight of large flying creatures with eight eyes flying towards you. They had nasty claws and teeth, and you were not liking the way they looked at you, so you threw your hands up defensively, and an attack never came.

You looked up to see them hovering, but would not come closer than about ten feet. You looked at yourself, then at the lantern and knife in your hands. The knife really wasn't very threatening, so you thrust the lantern up at the creatures, and they howled as they backed up more.

You grinned.

"Back!" You yelled, stepping forward and thrusting the lantern at them until they flew away. You felt giddy. The creatures, while clearly used to the soft glowing of the island, did not seem to like your golden light. You considered this as you looked at your skin, already shining gold from your many tattoos. Down your left arm, you had the detailed expanse of the ocean waves, and your right held your artist rendition of the cosmos far above. They joined at your back, where they melted into a golden desert scene of your homeland.

But your chest, legs, and most of your face was void of bright shiny art, so you went to your cabin to retrieve your inks and pigments.

You didn't have the tools for proper tattoos, but you could still paint your skin with golden patterns. You started with your legs, which only received long lines along your calfs, that disappeared under your skirt. Your chest was covered in swirls and lines that you used to trace your chest muscles. With your face, you used a mirror to watch yourself apply powder gold pigment to your eyelids, and silver powder pigment made lines and dots along your cheek bones and forehead. You dusted your beard and hair with the silver powder, and made sure to shine the large diamond gauges in your ears, then grinned at yourself. You looked positively shining, and you wondered why you never did this before.

You set out once again, lantern in hand and knife in its sheath around your waist, as you carefully climbed from the rock over to the landmass.

* * *

The creatures here were like nothing you had ever seen. Most glowed, but nothing was gold, and most sentient life cowered from you as you trudged through the odd foliage.

It was, actually, the flora you found to be the most dangerous. Flowers tried to eat you, bushes shot darts and thorns at you, at some places, the ground itself had teeth.

What sentient creatures did attack you, quickly found the nasty end of your knife, and were put to good use as food for the plants that wished you were dinner.

You explored much of the land, but you had your limits. Your stomach growled, and your eyelids grew heavy, so you found one of the trees that grew fruit and did not try to devour you, and within a few minutes, you had a very odd colored supper.

After the food, you made your way back to the ship, and back to your room that you could lock. You had to chase out a strange creature, but it was much more afraid of you than you were of it.

You were too tired to think once your body hit the hammock. You were out before you could consider how odd your situation was.

* * *

Over the next few days, or what you imagined were days, as there wasn't a day or night here, you stocked up on the strange fruit of the land. On day three, one of the bizarre multi-limbed beasts attempted to attack you, and when you gutted it, you decide against feeding it to the plant life, and instead dragged it back to the ship you had made your home base.

By burning candles and lanterns on the deck, you were able to keep most monsters at bay, and the ones undeterred were sent packing when you hurt them.

Most of the larger beasts were less afraid of the golden glow, and instead seemed attracted to it, but after being burned, stabbed, or bit, the smarter ones decided to leave you alone.

No one could ever say you couldn't adapt to your surroundings.

During your trips onto the landmass, you watched the fauna interact, and learned from the top predators.

It seemed that most of the beasts were colored bright colors, but most were pink, purple, or green. Never once, did you see a golden one. The creatures used hypnotic movements and their bright colors to either attract their prey, or to scare off larger predators. Nothing could fend off the carnivorous plants, however, so you took note to remember which ones had a taste for blood, and which ones didn't.

You didn't particularly like the taste of the beasts you killed, but it was better than eating only fruits for the rest of your life. You weren't stupid, you had taken note of the water that made up this land's sky; had seen the fish and whales swimming idly above as you fought for your life. You weren't about to get out of here anytime soon when the only way out was through who knows how many miles of water.

And it wasn't like you hated it. You could do whatever you wanted. You pissed off the edge of the land, you could kill anything you wanted to, and if you didn't want to eat it, nothing cared about you leaving the body to the elements. In fact, the beasts seemed to like those days best, as the small ones got a risk free meal from something that otherwise would have killed them.

You only wished you could be appreciated for your work, like how it was on the surface. You wanted kings to fawn and fight over who got you again. You wanted people to have auction wars to get ahold of one of your works. You wanted to be adored again.

But you were stuck in this land of beasts, learning to hypnotize creatures with the golden paint on your dark skin. The only sense of pride you felt these days was taken from the look of mesmerized bliss on a creature's face the moment before your movements got you close enough to kill it.

* * *

Soon enough, you had an abundance of food for yourself in the boat. Beast and fruit alike were kept in the stores, and you could sit back without worry on the deck of the ship. You could spend your days draped in your chair and not doing anything of any importance.

But after what felt like weeks of constant adapting and scavenging, you felt antsy when you finally sat still and did nothing.

After several very uncomfortable minutes, you collected your sketching supplies, and made your way to the land. You had to occupy your time doing _something_ , it might as well be doing what you have always done.

You found a secluded area, free of blood thirsty plants, and sat down to begin drawing what was around you.

As the hours passed, several beasts passed you by, but did not linger after catching sight of you. You had certainly made a name for yourself after slaughtering several beasts in cold blood. You smirked at the thought.

As you worked, you failed to notice the vine working its way towards you, slowly, like a snake. Had you looked up, you would have recognized it as one of the plants that could shoot its own poison thorns at prey. You had harnessed its poison occasionally, to take down beasts larger than you. Had you taken note of the plant, you could have dodged the thorn shot into your back.

But you paid the flora no mind as you worked on a sketch of a particularly bright flower, and in the end, you paid the price as the poison worked its way up your spine to paralyze you, and you blacked out before you could act.


	3. Diamond

You were lucky, Tamatoa thought. Had he not been already searching for the shiny creature that he had heard about from the rumors spreading around Lalotai, you would have been plant food.

He had pegged you to be smarter than that, though. A new, shiny creature had fallen into the land of monsters, and quickly made a name for itself by cutting down any beast in its path without a second thought. It was like you were made for the beast-eat-beast world down here, but he found you being shot down by one of those pesky vines, and you barely had any fight in you.

He had rescued you, of course. Because you were still just as bright as the rumors said. Even if you were not the warrior type like he had heard, you would be a beautiful addition to his collection.

He had set you on top of one of his golden piles, and he stared to take you all in. You looked human shaped, but he had never seen a human like you. You were far darker than the other humans he had seen, and your hair was corded, not simply wavy.

Some of the gold on your skin came off on his claws, but the golden art on your arms and back seemed to be an actual part of your skin. He thought that Maui could learn a thing or two about tattoos from you.

Your ears held large shiny stones literally inside of the lobes. He was tempted to try to remove them, but wasn't sure if they were earrings or actually a part of you. Hurting you, his new treasure, was the last thing he wanted to do. Instead he watched you from afar as your body worked through its paralysis, and he waited for you to wake up.

* * *

Your eyes opened, finally, several hours later. You blinked slowly as you took in the brightness of his cave, and he was taken with your eyes. They were blue, like his own, and he had never seen a human with eyes that weren't brown.

"Who are you?" He asked, and your head whipped around to see him.

Instead of responding, you slowly stood and began a series of movements that caused the tattoos on your arms to shine as you crept off of the pile he had set you on. He recognized those movements; they were similar to the hypnotic show many of the monsters here put on to distract prey. He chuckled and blocked the exit of his cave with one of his claws, and you stopped altogether.

"I asked you a question. I'm not stupid, like the little guys out there."

You stared at him, looking him up and down, then a smirk slowly slid onto your face and you rested a hand on your hip.

"No, I suppose you aren't."

"So, little shiny, what are you?" Tamatoa asked again, this time leaning down to get closer to you.

"I am a master artisan from the west. Are you saying you haven't heard of me? Kings have been groveling for my work for the past seven years."

"Then you must be valuable, yeah?"

"I am worth every ounce a king has, but I am humble enough to only take a little of his wealth." You said, placing a hand over your heart.

"You'll fit in perfectly with my collection, then."

"Collection?"

"You didn't notice what you were standing on?" He moved to the side, and watched your eyes light up at the sight of the piles of golden treasure.

"Oh, the things I could do with all of this." You whispered, and Tamatoa paused.

"What do you mean?"

"I could melt this all down and build the greatest golden statue ever known!" You said, still taking in the riches.

Tamatoa looked, and felt, affronted.

"You will do no such thing!" He shouted, and you just laughed.

"Of course I won't. It's not like I have a forge or my supplies with me here. The best I could maybe do right is some engraving."

"Are you implying that you and other humans made all of this?"

You frowned and looked across the hills of golden wares.

"Yeah... what, did you think gold came out of the ground already in the shape of a plate or crown?" You picked up the nearest object - a small disk intricately engraved with words from another language and what may have been a face, if it hadn't been worn down with age. It may have been a coin from some land you've never been.

"Well it's not like I've seen it any other way, you know."

"Of course. Big crab under the sea. Not the best place to find gold."

"I am far more than just some big crab, human. I am the glamorous Tamatoa!"

You gave him a bored glance before looking back at your nails. There was dirt trapped under your thumb and you scraped it out using one of your other nails.

"Sorry, who?"

"Oh come on, all you humans gotta know me, I fought your precious Maui!"

"I have no idea who that is."

Tamatoa looked shocked, then a slow smirk found its way onto his face. He crept up close to you as he chucked. He smelled like rotting fish when he stood so close to you.

"No idea you say? He'd be heartbroken to hear that. Poor little demigod, forgotten to everyone worth something."

"None of my gods are named Maui, Demi or otherwise. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"And pray tell, what are your gods like?"

You grinned and looked up at him again.

"Isis is the most cunning and brilliant of the gods. Anubis is depicted with the head of a jackal. It's all very interesting if you sit down and learn all about it. But that is a very long conversation and you already seem bored."

Indeed, as you talked, Tamatoa's gaze had slid over to his piles of gold and was not so discreetly fawning over his collection. You watched him for a moment, a hint of jealousy eating at you. _You_ were supposed to be the one to be fawned over, not these piles of junk made by other artists.

You turned to leave.

"If that's all, I'm going back to my base. I could use some food and proper rest. You seem preoccupied."

Your exit was once again blocked by a giant claw and you turned to stare inquisitively at your captor. He was glowering at you.

"You aren't going anywhere, sweetheart. Like I said, you're a part of my collection now." He growled, and you quirked an eyebrow at him as you laid a hand on your hip.

"Oh really?"

"I'm not about to let something as shiny and valuable as you walk out of here. You're something precious."

"Yeah?" You replied, "then maybe you should start acting like I am. I don't exactly like being ignored for a lousy dish. No matter what kind of metal work it's got on it."

Tamatoa seemed taken aback, as he stood straighter and stared down at you with an odd look. He looked to be mulling something over.

You continued to stare at him, even as he averted his gaze awkwardly, and he finally reached out to pluck you up from the ground gently with one of his large claws.

He brought you close to his face, and you scrunched your nose at the smell that came off of him at such close proximity.

"You're seriously demanding my attention? You got something wrong with you? Cause nobody has ever wanted my attention without some other devious reason."

You leaned forward in his claw, elbows resting against it as you rested your chin in your hand. With your free hand, you gently tapped a slow rhythm into his claw as you focused on one of his eyes to get some semblance of eye contact.

"I just really like being the center of attention, babe. Living on my own is not my ideal way of life, and you're the first thing that hasn't actively tried to kill me in weeks, so I'll take what I can get."

Tamatoa chuckled and placed you on top of another mound of gold. You picked up a goblet set with stones of varying colors and sizes to keep your hands busy. Tamatoa turned to dig through another pile behind him, and you watched curiously.

He pulled something from the pile and turned, holding it out to you. You leaned forward to get a look and found a bejeweled circlet nestled in his giant claw. It looked tiny and fragile compared to him. You glanced at him and he just held it closer to you, so you took it and set it on your head with a smile.

You sat back on your hands and flicked your hair over your shoulder. You didn't miss the way Tamatoa's gaze lingered on your gauges.

"That's more like it. Now, what do you have for entertainment around here?"


End file.
